A datestone is typically an embedded stone with the date of engraving and other information carved into it. They are not considered a very reliable source for dating a house, as instances of old houses being destroyed and rebuilt (with the old date stones intact) have been reported, or may in some cases be the date of a renovation or alteration.[1]
Specific locations have often been chosen for datestones, viz.
- corbel
- gable stone
- Gatepost: a large upright piece of (usually) granite, usually set at the entrance to a driveway or a field.
- keystone
- lintel
- ^ Lindop, Roy (1975). Stories of Turton Date Stones. Turton Local History Society. p. 2. ISBN 978-1-904974-01-7.